Danbury students win Sikorsky contest

Officials with Sikorsky Aircraft announced Friday that the school's team won the 2014 annual Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Challenge. The challenge is open to all Connecticut High Schools.

During the year-long competition, participating students had to use a variety of skills including engineering research and analysis, project planning and management and risk evaluation while attempting to redesign components of the landing gear for the F4U-4 Corsair fighter plane, the official state aircraft.

Students from Danbury High School worked with physics teacher Jameson Parker to redesign the drag brace component of the aircraft's landing gear.

"At the end of the contest they had to present their solution to a panel of judges and they won first place," said Gary Bocaccio, the school's principal. "It just demonstrates all the hard work they put into the project during the course of the past year. We are extremely proud of the entire team. It's an amazing accomplishment."

Bocaccio noted that a team of five students in the Connecticut Pre-Engingeering Program also took best in state earlier this year during the Verizon App Challenge. More than 1,300 high schools participated in the program.

Students from the school also took home seven trophies during the Connecticut State Vex Robotics Championship.

"It's been quite a year," Bocaccio said.

Chris Van Buiten, the vice president of Sikorsky Innovations, the company's technology development organization, said the STEM Challenge is a way for students to develop the kind of "out of the box" thinking that is the hallmark of Sikorsky engineers.

"It's important that we continue to inspire and engage the next generation of innovators," he said.

Sikorsky Innovations co-sponsored the competition along with Connecticut Innovations and Connecticut Corsair.